World/nation briefs

NEW JERSEY

Newark mayor weighs bid for governor

Democratic Newark Mayor Cory Booker said Sunday that he'll decide within two weeks whether to challenge GOP Gov. Chris Christie next year. Booker also told CBS' "Face the Nation" that he's thinking about running for the U.S. Senate. Speculation about the political future of Booker, 43, has been high for much of his second term as mayor.

LOUISIANA

Boustany wins 5th term in Congress

Louisiana U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany has won a fifth term by handily defeating his fellow Republican incumbent, Jeff Landry, in a runoff election. The two were forced into the same district when Louisiana lost a congressional seat because of slow population growth in the latest federal census. The state will have six U.S. House seats in the new term that begins in January. Boustany will represent the 3rd District covering southwest Louisiana.

PENNSYLANIA

Boy killed when dad's gun fires accidentally

A 7-year-old boy was buckling himself into his safety seat in his father's truck when he was fatally shot after a handgun accidentally went off as his father got in the front seat. Joseph V. Loughrey, 44, told police he had been trying to sell the guns Saturday in East Lackawannock Township, 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. He unloaded the magazine at home, but didn't realize a bullet was still in the chamber, Lt. Eric Hermick said. His son, Craig Allen Loughrey, died at the scene.

CALIFORNIA

Whale carcass towed 20 miles out to sea

The decaying carcass of a whale that washed onto a California beach has been towed out to sea. A tugboat hired by a homeowners' association towed the carcass of the huge whale about 20 miles from shore. The 40-foot-long whale washed ashore last Monday, creating a big stink and attracting onlookers to the narrow beach in Malibu. The homes of movie stars and millionaires line the cliffs high above the beach.

ROMANIA

Polls show center-left wins parliament

Romania's center-left government won a clear victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections, according to exit polls. The result could inflame the personal rivalry between the nation's top two officials and bring yet more political upheaval. The prime minister's governing alliance had about 57 percent of seats in the 452-seat legislature. Second was a center-right group, allied to President Traian Basescu, with over 18 percent. First official results are expected Monday. Basescu and Ponta are bitter rivals after the government tried to remove Basescu from office in a failed impeachment in July.

NORWAY

Oslo protesters decry Nobel prize for E.U.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee faced anger in its own backyard on the eve of a ceremony awarding this year's Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union. In a protest organized by left-wing political groups and peace activists, hundreds of people marched through central Oslo. The parade ended outside the Grand Hotel, where winners of the Nobel Peace Prize stay. "Giving the E.U. the peace prize is absurd," said Heming Olaussen, the leader of No to the EU, an organization that has campaigned for years to make sure that Norway stays outside the 27-nation bloc.

MEXICO

Music star is feared dead in plane crash

Singer Jenni Rivera, a popular recording artist and reality TV star, is feared dead in a small plane crash in northern Mexico. Authorities said the Learjet carrying seven people, including Rivera, was found in mountainous terrain south of Monterrey. There were no survivors. Rivera, 43, who was born and raised in Long Beach, Calif., is one of the biggest stars of the Mexican regional style known as gruperos music. She recently won two Billboard Mexican Music Awards: female artist of the year and Banda album of the year for "Joyas prestadas: Banda." On Saturday night, Rivera had given a concert before thousands of fans in Monterrey. Afterward at a news conference, she spoke of her emotional state following her recent divorce from former major league pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who played for the Yankees and Dodgers.